Lawyers Demand Immediate Release of Ex- NAFCO CEO’s Belongings after EOCO Release
Lawyers for Hanan Abdul-Wahab, the former Chief Executive Officer of the National Food and Buffer Stock Company (NAFCO), have accused the Economic and Organised Crime Office (EOCO) of unlawful arrest, detention and continued retention of his personal property, and are demanding the immediate release of his money, mobile phones and passport.
In a letter dated July 9, 2026 and signed by former Attorney-General Godfred Yeboah Dame of Dame & Partners, addressed to the Attorney-General and the Executive Director of EOCO, the law firm said their client was arrested on July 4, 2026, at the Kotoka International Airport while on his way to the United Kingdom for a scheduled medical appointment.
According to the letter, Abdul-Wahab was subsequently detained in the cells of the Bureau of National Intelligence and EOCO before being released on the night of 8th July 2026.
The lawyers stated that at the time of his arrest, the client was in possession of personal effects, two mobile phones and sums of money borrowed for travel expenses and medical treatment, including GBP 5,000 in the first envelope, GBP 1,700 in the second envelope, and GH¢2,750 in the third envelope.
The firm alleged that upon his release, the client’s belongings were not returned.
When he reported to EOCO on 9th July 2026 for the collection of his items, he was only given an empty purse, a watch and a boarding pass.
An investigating officer, Frank Cromwell, reportedly said he had no authorisation to release the money and the two mobile phones seized at the airport.
Dame & Partners described EOCO’s continued retention of the money and phones as “legally baseless” and said it was causing “significant distress and financial hardship” to their client, since the funds were intended solely for travel and medical treatment.
The lawyers further alleged that EOCO unlawfully accessed data on Mr Abdul-Wahab’s phones on 6th July 2026 at 7:39 pm and again on July 7, 2026, at 9:33 am while he was in custody.
They said this constituted “an unlawful interference with our client’s personal properties and a grave invasion of his right to privacy guaranteed under Article 18(2) of the Constitution, 1992.”
The letter also noted that the client’s passport remains in EOCO custody despite a High Court order dated June 29, 2026, directing its release to enable him to travel out of the jurisdiction.
The court had ordered that the passport be returned directly to the Registrar after travel.
The lawyers argued that seizing a citizen’s passport without court authorisation is “unwarranted” under Article 21(4) of the Constitution.
In light of the above, Dame & Partners demanded the immediate release of the two mobile phones, the money seized, and all other items unlawfully held by EOCO.
They also requested a full account of any data accessed from the client’s phones, and warned that failure to comply could lead to litigation.
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